Now that Ive signed another years lease on our home I feel once more connected to it in solidity and inspired to put some lovin into it. After building a higher retaining wall out of some old pavers I spent yesterday emptying out a years worth of broken down compost onto the herb patch, very satisfying. The more organic matter I can add to the sandy soils here the better for growth. Time to utilise the cooler autumn, which is when the herbs and veg that summer sun frys, can have a chance to come into their own.
The Wormwood is looking close to being able to take cuttings, and has grown along the soil. I figured just building the soil up under it there might be roots striking along the layered stems, much like what you can deliberately do with rosemary. Motherwort is sending multiple sprouts up from her base and thickening up. Echinacea is spreading her clump like self happily, the flowerheads have finished and I harevsted the seed. The Evening Primrose hasnt looked back since planted, I know she can become a bit noxious in some areas and can believe it if her growth combined with production of seed.
My rosemary that I bought as tubestock from a wee roadside stall now has multiple stems and new growth. I lost about three other plants, which was odd, as I assumed mediterranean plants would go off here. Havent had much luck with lavendar or sage either.
I thought the 'Banes' would do well here in the shadey parts of the garden but had no joy growing from seed, so that experiment was cut short. Perhaps its time to have another go, i still have some Henbane seeds soaking in a jar of water in the fridge.
As you can see Im still learning the climate and conditions in Suffolk and dont have the dosh for bringing in loads of soil. I did invest in a big bag of Dynamic Lifter which I have periodically sprinkled around. Recently I heard that a couple of handfulls soaked in a bucket of water makes a great liquid fertiliser. Now that Ive seen the soil with the compost spread through it I bodily get the adding organic matter thing, also mulching. I emptied two big pots of soil into the herb bed, one of which had mulch and the other didnt. The difference in moisture and worm content was amazing.
I planted out lettuce and tat soi seedlings. I have a rather unoriginal theory after failed crops that being in the subtropics it makes sense to have a grow at plants from the same zone, tat soi, bok choy, chilli, capsicum, lemongrass, thai basil, purple basil, gingers and such. I also happen to love these kinds of flavours in cooking. That reminds me, round the corner is a ballistic lemongrass plant that I want to take some starter plants from, its growing lushly straight in sandy soil no problems.
This morning i awoke to find that the brush turkeys had scratched their way through the whole bed, decimating the seedlings and damaging some herbs, buggers. Id forgotten about their rather invasive habits. Banshee screams greeted the turkey which was innocently, and rather stupidly, sitting on the fence nearby. It reminded me of the advantages of hanging pots and planters. My last lot were actually designed for shoe storage and the fabric rotted through eventually, but I hear you can now buy official type ones that are probably made of some kind of plasticy materials and therefore last until the next millenium.
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